Birth of Israel

"I would like to wish Israel another 63 years of great joy, peace and a thriving economy.

"I've had the pleasure of being there many times and have seen it from a bodybuilding point of view, from a tourist's point of view, from an entertainer's point of view, from the governor's point of view. I'm looking forwards to going there many more times."

Almost a year after David Ben Gurion declared independence for the Jewish state; Israel was welcomed into the global club.

With something of a fraught relationship between the two since, it was nonetheless a positive step. Twelve countries voyted against welcoming the 59th members, including Afghanistan, India and Iraq, while nine, among them Britain, Denmark and Greece, abstained.